Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,540 per month in Costa Rica vs $789 in Guatemala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,251 in Guatemala, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,107 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,713 in Guatemala, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 95% higher than in Guatemala on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 16% above the global median, while Guatemala is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Guatemala ($112–$1,285) than in Costa Rica ($1,147–$2,047), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ₡4,558

$5.80 Q 44.25

74.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡26.9K

$49.95 Q 381

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,463

$6.57 Q 50.1

50.99%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ₡1,828

$3.38 Q 25.81

20.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₡953

$1.35 Q 10.32

57.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡776

$1.00 Q 7.64

73.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 ₡1,347

$3.23 Q 24.63

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ₡2,023

$5.26 Q 40.07

-14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡910

$1.94 Q 14.78

4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,390

$2.69 Q 20.53

14.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,092

$1.84 Q 14.04

32.07%

Eggs

$3.32 ₡1,492

$2.34 Q 17.84

41.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ₡4,131

$7.67 Q 58.5

19.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,191

$8.10 Q 61.7

14.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ₡5,950

$9.72 Q 74.1

36.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,131

$3.55 Q 27.10

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$1.69 Q 12.85

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,461

$3.29 Q 25.05

-1.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 ₡1,330

$1.45 Q 11.03

104.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 ₡1,315

$1.50 Q 11.46

94.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$1.78 Q 13.55

56.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡461

$0.78 Q 5.96

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$1.11 Q 8.44

120.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 ₡2,278

$3.74 Q 28.48

35.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 ₡7,557

$8.15 Q 62.1

106.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₡1,033

$1.92 Q 14.63

19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,263

$2.76 Q 21.01

1.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡461

$1.06 Q 8.04

-2.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.91 ₡22.0K

$13.24 Q 101

269.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡814

$3.67 Q 27.98

-50.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡907

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ₡3,455

$10.27 Q 78.3

-25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡676

$1.12 Q 8.55

33.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.2K ₡16.3M

$17.9K Q 136.6K

101.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.0K ₡16.2M

$23.2K Q 176.7K

55.37%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$87.9 ₡39.5K

$59.0 Q 450

49.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.69 ₡11.6K

$28.77 Q 219

-10.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$51.9 Q 395

4.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 ₡25.6K

$44.99 Q 343

26.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 ₡12.9K

$25.45 Q 194

12.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,048

$6.64 Q 50.6

35.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$556 ₡250.3K

$265 Q 2,021

109.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ₡4.6M

$8,240 Q 62.8K

23.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 ₡33.0K

$51.2 Q 390

43.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.9K

$51.5 Q 393

3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.5K

$98.2 Q 749

21.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₡46.4K

$102 Q 778

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡359.5K

$683 Q 5,204

17.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₡244.3K

$435 Q 3,317

24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 ₡662.1K

$1,312 Q 10.0K

12.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡475.0K

$711 Q 5,420

48.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₡1.1M

$2,287 Q 17.4K

7.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡737.8K

$1,120 Q 8,536

46.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ₡487.7K

$583 Q 4,448

85.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

8.71

20.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $752 in Costa Rica vs $220 in Guatemala. For reference, capital cities sit at $873 in San Jose and $741 in Guatemala City.

Average salary: $1,101 in Costa Rica vs $703 in Guatemala. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 242% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 53% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 1200% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 57% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Guatemala.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Costa Rica vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 129% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Guatemala, contributing to the overall 129% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Guatemala, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Guatemala is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.